A student of the university, Justice Okorie, told our
Correspondent that the fire started around 3am and it affected almost all the
lecturers’ offices in the faculty.

Okorie also said that computer offices of various
departments in the faculty and libraries were destroyed.

“A fire outbreak has destroyed the Humanities Faculty Annex
of our school. It started by 3am and before help could be rendered,
equipment and valuable documents have been destroyed,” Okorie said.

“Documents were lost in offices that include those of the
Dean of the Faculty. We pray the incident does not affect our academic
programme,” the student added.

When contacted, the IMSU Public Relations Officer, Obi
Njoku, said that much damage had been done before fire fighters arrived.

Njoku, who said that he could not readily estimate the value
of property lost to the fire, said that the school’s management would convene
to plan the next line of action.

In the meantime, a New intelligence report has revealed that
innovative services that can be delivered over 5G technology is yet to resonate
with majority of consumers across the globe.

According to a survey carried out by the Global System of Mobile
Telecommunications Association Intelligence (GSMAi), revealed that while most
end users expect 5G to deliver faster data speeds, they are however, are not
abreast of further developments that can come from it.

5G is the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications. It succeeds the
4G (LTE/WiMax), 3G (UMTS) and 2G (GSM) systems.

The first phase of 5G specifications in Release-15 will be
completed by April 2019, to accommodate the early commercial deployment. The
second phase in Release-16 is due to be completed by April 2020, for submission
to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as a candidate of IMT-2020
technology.

In the survey, the GSMA’s analyst unit asked 15,000 mobile users in 16 markets
to define their expectation of what 5G will deliver.

While 54 per cent cited improved mobile data speeds and 41 per cent anticipated
improved service coverage, only a quarter named new services with even fewer
(20 per cent) citing new devices. More than 20 per cent highlighted improved
fixed broadband, with a similar number citing lower service costs.

However, close to 25 per cent were unable to name any 5G benefits.

In an accompanying report, GSMAi noted: “It will come as a disappointment,
though perhaps not a surprise, to operators that innovative new services only
resonate with 25 per cent of respondents in our survey. Consumers currently see
5G as the logical continuation of previous generation.”

Head of GSMA Intelligence, Peter Jarich, added: “While smartphones remain the
dominant consumer technology, device vendors and operators are looking to 5G to
unlock a new chapter in the smartphone growth story, even though our research
suggests there is still work to do to convince consumers of the benefits of the
move to 5G.”

GSMA however, warned that the successful roll-out of ultra-fast 5G services
relies on timely access to the right amount and type of spectrum in 2019.

As the race to launch 5G services intensifies, the GSMA highlights the need for
governments, regulators and the mobile industry to work together to deliver
widespread coverage, and the full potential of 5G for everyone.

According to the ‘GSMA Public Policy Position on 5G Spectrum,’ governments around the world have started to auction spectrum for 5G networks, but variations in how much spectrum has been assigned, the onerous conditions imposed – and the cost of access to that spectrum – means the speed, reach and quality of 5G services could vary dramatically between countries.

The body said early adopter countries will be the first to realise the significant benefits of 5G – from fibre-like mobile broadband speeds and smarter cities to autonomous cars and digitised factories – and stand to reap important socio-economic benefits including GDP growth.

GSMAi forecasts that there will be 1.3 billion 5G connections by 2025, but this will be dependent on operators gaining access to sufficient spectrum.

Head of Spectrum, GSMA, Brett Tarnutzer, said: “Operators urgently need more spectrum to deliver the endless array of services that 5G will enable – our 5G future depends heavily on the decisions governments are making in 2019.

“Without strong government support to allocate sufficient spectrum to next generation mobile services, it will be impossible to achieve the global scale that will make 5G affordable and accessible for everyone. There is a real opportunity for innovation from 5G, but this hinges on governments focusing on making enough spectrum available, not maximising auction revenues for short term gains.”

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